Committee approves revised procurement policy after amendment lowering professional-services threshold to $30,000

Finance director Jennifer Silinsky summarized proposed revisions to the city’s procurement policy (4.800) on March 3, explaining changes to thresholds, purchase order interpretation, change-order documentation and sole-source justification.

Silinsky said the revised policy would let departments procure professional services under new thresholds, eliminate a separate purchase-order execution track by treating PO-linked contracts like other contracts, and clarify change-order documentation requirements (engineer/architect recommendation, contractor proposal, cost breakdown and schedule impacts). She described signature authority for change orders and contracts as the mayor and clerk, with the finance director certifying funds availability.

Discussion centered on the proposed $50,000 professional-services threshold (up from $25,000). Several committee members expressed concern about removing council oversight at that level and whether aggregation rules would be clear for multi-part projects. One member offered an amendment to reduce the threshold to $30,000; that amendment passed. Silinsky and other staff said the finance director’s signature would serve as a stop gate to ensure funds availability and that staff are implementing workflows to keep review times reasonable.

The committee then approved the revised Policy 4.800 as amended and recommended council adoption.